


Developmental Beta: The Process

by Developmental_Beta (Emmessann)



Category: Original Work
Genre: Beta-Reading, Developmental Beta-Reading, Developmental Editing, Gen, Meta, Writing, Writing Process, editing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-09
Updated: 2014-11-09
Packaged: 2018-02-24 18:35:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,482
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2591969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emmessann/pseuds/Developmental_Beta
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This section describes one beta's overall reading process, with step-by-step examples</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Developmental Beta Process: One Reader's Method

Over the years, I've evolved a method for beta-reading that seems to work best for me. I think anyone who does this work will evolve their own approach, the same way that any writer will have their own process. But  for what it's worth, here's what I do. I'll expand on many of these in subsequent posts:

  1. Pick a writer I like and introduce myself via email, ask, comment, etc.

  2. If accepted, get their next story.

  3. Using Microsoft Word (my preference) I shift the comment attributions to my pseudonym, turn on track changes, and get my Ctrl-Alt-M fingers warmed up for comment bubbles.

  4. I begin reading the story and make most of my comments as they strike me on first read. This goes against the conventional wisdom, which is to read the story once and then start commenting, but it's crucial to preserve my first impressions.   
  
First round is a gut check, recording observations. It includes every issue I see, plus every gut reaction that I have to the story. Because I won't have a second chance at those, I catch every positive ("LOL") negative ("I’m bored") or observation. ("OMG I’m getting so worried for Krycek!") First round also includes spot repairs of typos and notes about larger grammar issues the author may want to fix, more things I would miss on a second read.

  5. Exception: If the trend of my first reactions suggests that the story may need a substantial rewrite, I stop making in-text comments altogether, read the story to the end, and start work on my comment letter. I will not send the comments I wrote to the author because the big picture is more important here, and the abandoned comments tend to be overly negative.

  6. Having made my first-round comments, I sleep on them at least one night before starting my second pass. This step is necessary to put my comments in perspective and help me temper them.

  7. Second Pass: This is the time to analyze the big picture. Now that I know where the story is going, I try to clarify the observations. For example, if the first pass says "I’m bored" several times in one area, I’m going to delete most of those reactions and replace some of them with more analytical responses about why I was bored and what to do about it. A flat report of my reaction won't help much; a kindly-expressed explanation of why I feel that way will.  ("I got so excited about what happened to Lestrade, that switching over to Sherlock's ballistics experiment made me lose some of that excitement. Maybe the ballistics scene would be better if it happens before Lestrade gets kidnapped?") 

  8. I expand on comments where they need clarification, and delete any notes I made that have turned out to be irrelevant, excessive or distracting. I also use the second pass to tone down negative responses and express them more kindly.   
  
For what it’s worth, I do not usually re-read the story while I do the second pass; I'm really refining my own responses. If I didn't get it on the first round, it's probably not important; I catch less on the second pass, not more. This time is really for analysis.

  9. Comment Letter. The comment letter is a global reaction that reiterates and organizes some of the big-picture observations about the piece. If I was working professionally on a novel-sized piece, the comment letter would be anywhere from two to five pages. For fanfic beta, the letter might be two to eight paragraphs. The "sandwich" model for comment letters can be effective here (praise-critique-praise) but I’m not very formal about it.

  10. And then...send the comment letter email off with the commented piece as an attachment, and see what happens. Which, thankfully, is usually lovely.



 


	2. Step One: Selecting and Approaching Authors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How to find and approach writers you'd like to work with.

If you're interested in getting beta work, there are many routes to choose from. I am happy with the results I get from my approach.

 **Picking authors to approach:** This will vary enormously from reader to reader, but this is what I look for:

 _A strong voice I respond to:_  For me, there must be humor evident, even if the subject is serious. A droll voice or witty humor is one of my threshold qualities. (Not surprisingly, heightened humor/tragedy shows up in my own writing, too.) Look for the elements you love. Do you favor lush, descriptive writing? A clever, literary style? Someone who sees Castiel exactly the way that you do? Any of those could be a threshold worth pursuing.

 _I utterly love the story, but I can see what I would suggest:_  On the whole I seek writers who work at a similar level as I do, although I have also worked with writers well above or below my skill set. The beauty of my long-term relationships with writers like Medeafic and Zjofierose is that we started in about the same place, and years later we have all marched forward together. I think it’s been easier to challenge each other constructively because the initial playing field was fairly level.

 _I think the writer could and would apply some of my suggestions:_  This goes by intuition, but there can be tells that a writer is more or less open to feedback. If a writer says the revision process causes them physical pain, or their work is their baby and they protect it as such, or it's clear that their main pleasure is writing a ton of stuff and posting it as fast as possible -- I have loved writers with all of those qualities. But I won't volunteer to them, because there are signs we would only frustrate each other, and those relationships never last. 

The flip side are writers who fling themselves into the revision process, with or without a beta, who immerse themselves in the craft of writing. While nobody loves being critiqued, there are many people who treat it as a crucial part of their own development, or have lived through harsher criticism in, say, a graduate program. When a writer's comments lean in that direction, I tend to see it as a positive sign that we may be able to forge a connection that pleases us both.

But the truth is, you and a writer will never know how you feel about the process, until you are in it.

 **Approaching Authors:** Again, there are many ways to go. I like to approach writers directly with a quick message. You can also watch for writers who announce they need a beta, or use lists and clearinghouses that match writer and beta.

You don’t have to know a writer to approach. Until recently I was a devout lurker with zero social capital. It has never seemed to matter.

I usually approach with a spin on this letter:

 

> Hi, JK Rowling!
> 
> I just wanted you to know that I really enjoy your series. The sixth installment was just fabulous. It was so cool to learn the truth about Snape after all this time, and Dumbledore’s death was a heart-breaker. I also really love the way you've been aging the kids up so believably in every installment; it's such a pleasure to see them grow.
> 
> I don't know if you may already have a beta, or if you use betas at all, but for what it's worth I've got some experience with it, and  if you would ever like to try me out on a future story I would love to work with you.
> 
> If not, no worries, just know that I’m a huge fan, and thank you for all of your terrific work.
> 
> Best, Ann Emmess

Something like that. The formula _(rolls eyes at self)_ is:

  * Compliment to the story I just read,
  * Compliment that shows I grasp something good about the writer’s overall style.
  * Non-pushy offer to beta in future,
  * Wrap-up statement of appreciation.



Notes like these get about a 35% positive return rate, which always surprises me. I would have thought it would be much lower, but there are writers who are quietly hungry for beta help, flattered by the offer and willing to give a try-out. I probably approach 3-6 people in a year and from that pick up 1-2.

I used to labor over these notes, which never improved them.  It’s gotten to where I dash an approach off as quickly as I can, then forget about them until I hear something. I have had writers look me up as much as a year later. 

For both betas and writers, it’s helpful to realize that you may have to kiss a lot of frogs before you really click with someone. Things can go wrong on either side of this relationship. If you treat your initial search with the attitude that you’ll cast your net widely and keep trying until you find a match, you have a great chance of eventually finding the person you need.

 


End file.
